1.Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The stasis: Seven women (sisters Pelajia and Philomena along with their half sisters Annie, Emily, and Marie-Adele. There is also Veronique, who is the sister-in-law of all the other women and has an adopted daughter Zhaboonigan.) are featured in the beginning of the play, which takes place in the last moments of summer 1986 at an Indian reserve in Ontario, Canada. Pelajia, Philomena, and Annie discuss their wants, such as going to Toronto and getting pots/toilets but their wants are generally too expensive. Separately, Marie-Adele is seen speaking with Veronique and Zhaboonigan about the BIGGEST BINGO IN THE WORLD (which has a $500,000 prize) as Nanabush watches over them. The rest of the stasis is about discussing the bingo and wondering if it was true.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when Annie, Marie-Adele, Veronique, and Zhaboonigan make their way to Emily's store (eventually Pelajia and Philomena show up as well). In this moment, the play starts to build action and pick up pace because the women get into a fight, which breaks the calm, slow stasis. At first, they start discussing the bingo, but the conversations starts to build due to accusations (such as Emily suggesting that Zhaboonigan is a Pagan) and retorts (Veronique making fun of Emily and mentioning Big Joey). The fight then turns physical, which is representative of how quickly the play is moving at this moment. Marie-Adele also collapses at this point because of her cancer, which also adds to the drama of the play. This moment only starts to calm down when Ellen's letter confirms the bingo.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor is the BIGGEST BINGO IN THE WORLD. The existence or even slightest rumor of this bingo excites the women. Because of this rumor, the play picks up pace. This bingo is the driving force behind the play since it motivates the women to leave the reserve and stimulate the plot of the play. The bingo is the one to even spark the intrusion since it got the women to go Emily's store, which is where things pick up.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will the women be able to achieve their wishes by winning the bingo prize money?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
(helps the audience understand play's action)
Information known to all characters:
An example of this could be Marie-Adele's cancer. Though it seems as though Marie-Adele does not like to talk about it, all the women at the reserve know about it. The ladies grow concerned over her health as she collapses and even ponder what would happen to her children. This provides foreshadowing for the play's action because it shows that she is weak and that something may happen to her at the end of the play. Eventually, Marie-Adele passes away. The knowledge of her cancer helps predict her future.
Information known to one character:
There isn't much evidence of this type of exposition since the women all grow close to each other and generally don't tend to hide things. However, Emily does not reveal much of herself until the end of the play. For example, the audience initially sees her as mysterious and rough because she keeps to herself and has a coarse exterior. She keeps this information to herself until the very end: the reason why she returned to the reserve, her sexuality, and her pregnancy. This information help's the audience understand the play's action because it helps to show how close the women have gotten for cold Emily to reveal information about her private life.
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment in the play must be when the women are actually playing bingo. At this point, Marie-Adele also passes away. In this moment, the play's action is the most tense, so the audience must feel extremely anxious as well. This moment is extremely important because this moment is what the play had been built for. In the play, the women only focus on this bingo, and this moment to finally decide the outcome of has arrived. Also, Marie-Adele's fate has finally been decided at this point, so this can be seen the dramatic climax of the play.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Desire, family, disability, money, hope, female bonding, race (mostly Native American and White), brief mention of alcohol, marriage, love, abuse, illness, and death.
8. What does the chief character want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
For this question, I am going to be analyzing Marie-Adele and what she wants. She wants to win the bingo to buy a cozy island for her family, but many obstacles stand her way.
She has to battle herself because her cancer has made her weak. It is implied that cancer can prevent people from achieving what they want. In order to do the bingo, she needs to have the strength, which cancer has taken from her.
She also cannot get the island because she had to take care of her husband and fourteen children. It is likely that she had been focused on her family rather than trying to get the money for the island (before she heard of the bingo).
She also did not win bingo because of her death. Nanabush has also planned her death, so she is unable to achieve her dreams of buying the island. She dies during bingo, so she did not have a chance to win the prize money and buy the island.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
Some images include
the beats/when the women are trying to make money: this symbolizes hope and is a source of comic relief in the play. The women are trying their best to raise as much money they can for the trip because they are so hopeful about getting the $500,000 prize, and the jobs they do to get the money are unique and comical.
the drive to Toronto: the women are driving to Toronto, and they all start to share more information about themseles, which shows the audience how close they've gotten to each other because of the bingo. They had also sang before and start to cry/comfort each other, so the road trip is balanced between reminisce, joy, and sorrow.
When Nanabush appears to Marie-Adele, symbolizing her near demise.
The title Rez Sisters helps the audience understand the play because this play is based on the idea of family and being hopeful despite hard times. This title can help the audience realize how close the women are despite their differences and quarrels. They have especially grown closer because of They are sisters, not just companions.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
In the play, all the women are related to each other, so they are essentially a big family, linked by both blood and marriage. Pelajia and Philomena are sisters and half sisters with Annie, Emily, and Marie-Adele. Veronique is the sister-in-law of the other five women and has an adopted daughter named Zhaboonigan. It seems that Pelajia and Philomena are closer to each other than with their half-sisters. Annie and Marie-Adele seem close, but Emily is rather distant at the beginning of the play. Veronique also does not seem to get along with the other women as well. Towards the end of the play, their relationships with one another grow stronger as they work together to get the prize money. Their relationships are enforced by the title, which implies that they are a big family at the reservation.
1.Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph.
The stasis: Seven women (sisters Pelajia and Philomena along with their half sisters Annie, Emily, and Marie-Adele. There is also Veronique, who is the sister-in-law of all the other women and has an adopted daughter Zhaboonigan.) are featured in the beginning of the play, which takes place in the last moments of summer 1986 at an Indian reserve in Ontario, Canada. Pelajia, Philomena, and Annie discuss their wants, such as going to Toronto and getting pots/toilets but their wants are generally too expensive. Separately, Marie-Adele is seen speaking with Veronique and Zhaboonigan about the BIGGEST BINGO IN THE WORLD (which has a $500,000 prize) as Nanabush watches over them. The rest of the stasis is about discussing the bingo and wondering if it was true.
2. What is the intrusion?
The intrusion is when Annie, Marie-Adele, Veronique, and Zhaboonigan make their way to Emily's store (eventually Pelajia and Philomena show up as well). In this moment, the play starts to build action and pick up pace because the women get into a fight, which breaks the calm, slow stasis. At first, they start discussing the bingo, but the conversations starts to build due to accusations (such as Emily suggesting that Zhaboonigan is a Pagan) and retorts (Veronique making fun of Emily and mentioning Big Joey). The fight then turns physical, which is representative of how quickly the play is moving at this moment. Marie-Adele also collapses at this point because of her cancer, which also adds to the drama of the play. This moment only starts to calm down when Ellen's letter confirms the bingo.
3. What is the unique factor?
The unique factor is the BIGGEST BINGO IN THE WORLD. The existence or even slightest rumor of this bingo excites the women. Because of this rumor, the play picks up pace. This bingo is the driving force behind the play since it motivates the women to leave the reserve and stimulate the plot of the play. The bingo is the one to even spark the intrusion since it got the women to go Emily's store, which is where things pick up.
4. What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
Will the women be able to achieve their wishes by winning the bingo prize money?
5. Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
(helps the audience understand play's action)
6. Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
The most theatrical moment in the play must be when the women are actually playing bingo. At this point, Marie-Adele also passes away. In this moment, the play's action is the most tense, so the audience must feel extremely anxious as well. This moment is extremely important because this moment is what the play had been built for. In the play, the women only focus on this bingo, and this moment to finally decide the outcome of has arrived. Also, Marie-Adele's fate has finally been decided at this point, so this can be seen the dramatic climax of the play.
7. List some of the themes of the play.
Desire, family, disability, money, hope, female bonding, race (mostly Native American and White), brief mention of alcohol, marriage, love, abuse, illness, and death.
8. What does the chief character want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of her getting what she wants?
For this question, I am going to be analyzing Marie-Adele and what she wants. She wants to win the bingo to buy a cozy island for her family, but many obstacles stand her way.
She has to battle herself because her cancer has made her weak. It is implied that cancer can prevent people from achieving what they want. In order to do the bingo, she needs to have the strength, which cancer has taken from her.
She also cannot get the island because she had to take care of her husband and fourteen children. It is likely that she had been focused on her family rather than trying to get the money for the island (before she heard of the bingo).
She also did not win bingo because of her death. Nanabush has also planned her death, so she is unable to achieve her dreams of buying the island. She dies during bingo, so she did not have a chance to win the prize money and buy the island.
9. Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
Some images include
The title Rez Sisters helps the audience understand the play because this play is based on the idea of family and being hopeful despite hard times. This title can help the audience realize how close the women are despite their differences and quarrels. They have especially grown closer because of They are sisters, not just companions.
10. Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
In the play, all the women are related to each other, so they are essentially a big family, linked by both blood and marriage. Pelajia and Philomena are sisters and half sisters with Annie, Emily, and Marie-Adele. Veronique is the sister-in-law of the other five women and has an adopted daughter named Zhaboonigan. It seems that Pelajia and Philomena are closer to each other than with their half-sisters. Annie and Marie-Adele seem close, but Emily is rather distant at the beginning of the play. Veronique also does not seem to get along with the other women as well. Towards the end of the play, their relationships with one another grow stronger as they work together to get the prize money. Their relationships are enforced by the title, which implies that they are a big family at the reservation.